The Literary Uncanny Valley: How To Write Realistic Sci-Fi

In computer-generated imagery, “the uncanny valley,” or the unease provoked at a not-quite-human image, is a trap, a sign of failure. In speculative fiction, it’s a destination: your whole assignment is to disturb readers with a lifelike world that is not quite like life. But getting the mix just right is elusive: How many mundane details should you include? When to drop the first hint that all is not as it seems?

In this craft class, we will pore over passages from Solvej Balle’s ON THE CALCULATION OF VOLUME, Yoko Towada’s SCATTERED ALL OVER THE EARTH trilogy, and others, breaking down the secret for chilling and unsettling speculative fiction with the specificity of a cocktail recipe.

JAYSON GREENE is the author of the memoir Once More We Saw Stars and the novel UNWORLD and a contributing writer and former senior editor at Pitchfork. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Vulture, GQ, and elsewhere, and his criticism has been nominated for a National Magazine Award. He lives in Brooklyn.

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